What you actually need in your first month in Germany

Five decisions, one recommendation each. No tables of twenty options — if you have just arrived, you want to be told what to get, not handed a spreadsheet.

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1. A German phone number

Which SIM card can I get with just my passport?

You need a number before almost anything else — the Anmeldung appointment, the bank, the flat viewings. Prepaid works on a passport alone, with no Anmeldung and no German bank account. The only real question is how much data you actually use.

  • ALDI TALK — Basis Prepaid (pay per use)

    If your phone is on wifi most of the day and you mainly need a German number: there is no monthly package to buy, so a quiet month costs you almost nothing. Passport is enough, and you top up with a voucher from any ALDI.

    You need: Passport (video or Post identification) · Prepaid — stop topping up, no notice period

    Visit ALDI TALK →

  • Blau — Allnet L (24-month)

    €9,99 · per month on the current switch deal — €12.99 otherwise

    If you actually use data — maps, video, tethering — this is the other end of the same decision. 60 GB for the price most plans charge for 20, once you have an address and a German IBAN.

    You need: Passport or ID, German address, German bank account (SEPA) · 24-month minimum term, then one month's notice

    Visit Blau →

  • Telekom — MagentaMobil Young (under 28)

    If you are under 28 — student, Azubi, or just young — this is the cheapest way onto the best network. Bring proof of age.

    You need: Passport or ID, Proof of age under 28, German address, German bank account (SEPA) · Usually 24 months minimum term — only sign once you know you are staying

    Visit Telekom →

2. A bank account

Which German bank account can I open before the Anmeldung?

Your salary, your rent and your phone contract all need an IBAN. Some banks want a registered address first; these two do not.

  • N26 — Standard

    Free

    Opens in English on your phone, usually the same day, and accepts most passports without a registered address. We earn nothing from this one — it is here because it is what we would tell a friend.

    You need: Passport (video identification), EU/German phone number, Supported nationality (long list, check theirs) · Anytime, from the app

    Visit N26 →

  • Commerzbank — StartKonto (students & under 28)

    Free · free while you qualify as a student / under the age limit

    If you would rather have a branch and a person to talk to, and you are studying: free while you are enrolled.

    You need: Passport, Anmeldung certificate, Enrolment certificate (Immatrikulationsbescheinigung) or proof of age · Anytime, in text form

    Visit Commerzbank →

3. Liability insurance (Haftpflicht)

Do I really need Haftpflichtversicherung in Germany?

Not legally — but it is the one insurance almost every German household has, and most landlords expect it. It covers the damage you accidentally do to other people and their things, which in Germany you are liable for without limit.

  • Feather — Personal liability

    €4,94 / month

    The whole thing in English, including the policy documents and the claim. Costs about as much as two coffees a month.

    You need: None — just an address in Germany · Monthly, online

    Visit Feather →

4. Electricity

Do I have to choose an electricity provider in Germany?

From the day you move in you are supplied automatically by the local default provider — the Grundversorgung — and that tariff is usually the most expensive one available at your address. Nobody tells you this, and you pay it until you switch. Prices are set per postcode and per household, so there is no single best provider to name.

  • Check24 — Electricity tariff comparison

    Put in your postcode and roughly what you use — a single person is around 1,500 kWh a year, a couple around 2,500 — and switch to a fixed tariff. The change is handled by the new provider; you do not have to cancel anything yourself, and the lights never go off.

    You need: Your postcode, Rough yearly usage in kWh (a single person uses about 1,500) · Set by the tariff you choose — most run 12 months with a price guarantee

    Compare electricity tariffs →

5. Home internet

How do I get internet in a German flat?

Check what is already in the building before you compare anything — the line technology available at your address decides your real options, not the adverts.

  • Telekom — Glasfaser (MagentaZuhause)

    Where fibre is actually available, this is the line that works. Check your address on their availability page first.

    You need: Passport or ID, German address, German bank account (SEPA), SCHUFA check applies · Usually 24 months minimum term, then monthly

    Visit Telekom →

  • Mobile data — Prepaid SIM or mobile router as a bridge

    For the weeks between moving in and the line being connected, which in Germany can be a long time.

    You need: Passport · Prepaid — none

    Compare SIM plans →

Questions people ask

What is the best SIM card for students in Germany?
If you are under 28, Telekom's Young tariffs are the cheapest way onto the best network, and you can prove your age with a passport and an enrolment certificate. If you are not yet registered at an address, start with a prepaid SIM — those need nothing but a passport — and switch once you have your Anmeldung.
How much mobile data do I actually need in Germany?
Less than you think if you are mostly on wifi at home and at work — a pay-per-use prepaid SIM costs almost nothing in a quiet month and still gives you the German number every office and landlord asks for. If you rely on maps, video or tethering, buy a large package instead: paying for 60 GB once is far cheaper than topping up a small tariff repeatedly.
Can I get a German SIM card without an Anmeldung?
Yes. Every prepaid SIM in Germany can be activated with a passport by video identification, with no registered address and no German bank account. Monthly contracts are the ones that ask for an address and an IBAN.
Can I open a bank account before I register my address?
With the app-based banks, usually yes — they verify you with your passport by video call. Most branch banks will ask for the Anmeldung confirmation first.
How much does liability insurance cost in Germany?
Between roughly three and five euros a month for a single person, and family policies cover everyone in the household. The cheapest policies are German-only; paying slightly more for an English-speaking provider is worth it the first time you have to make a claim.
How do I change my electricity provider in Germany?
Compare on your postcode and your yearly usage in kWh, pick a tariff, and the new provider cancels the old contract for you. You keep the same cables and the same meter — only the billing changes, and the supply cannot be interrupted by switching. If you have just moved in and done nothing, you are on the local Grundversorgung tariff, which is usually the most expensive one you can be on.
What should I sort out first when I arrive in Germany?
A prepaid SIM on day one, because everything else needs a phone number. Then the Anmeldung appointment, which unlocks the rest. A bank account can usually be opened in parallel, and liability insurance and internet come once you have a flat.

The paperwork side of arriving

The Anmeldung is the appointment everything else waits on. Our city guides walk through it step by step, with the forms and what to bring.

City-by-city guides →